


Questions and Revelations

by Bubbles759



Series: Fire Alarms and Cooking Lessons [3]
Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: M/M, Modern AU, Sad Kíli, Student Kili, mentioned background character death, mentioned single parent, paramedic Fili, student fili
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-09
Updated: 2016-07-09
Packaged: 2018-07-22 15:02:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7443676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bubbles759/pseuds/Bubbles759
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It is easier to get blood from a stone than information from Kili. Will someone else be able to shine some light on the brunette?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Questions and Revelations

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MistakenMagic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MistakenMagic/gifts).



> Thanks so much to everyone who has commented or kudosed the previous parts to this. Love, love, love to you all :D
> 
> Set partway through the last part. Before Fili's accident, after the cooking lessons start.
> 
> Gifting to MistakenMagic who's work I absolutely adore :D

Fili pulled his forest green scarf tighter around his neck, and flicked the collar of his dark grey pea coat up against the wind, pressing the thick fleece closer to his skin in order to keep the cold wind away from his neck. He shifted the backpack on his right shoulder, wincing as a rather large textbook bit into his back, and practically sprinted the last few metres to the coffee shop as the heavens opened up and the rain poured down.

He stepped inside, the warmth enveloping him like a hug, and he closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of freshly baked pastries and coffee before someone behind him opened the door, the blast of cold air pushing him further into the shop and down into the second room where a fire burned merrily and a few people were comfortably curled up in arm chairs or settled at the few tables scattered around.

Fili commandeered a rather large table close to the fire, settling his backpack on the floor at his feet as he sat down in the relatively comfortable chair. He pulled out a few textbooks, notebooks and pens and his laptop, plugging it into the wall beside him.

He opened his laptop, pulling up the practise exams from the last few years, as well as the overview of the exam his lecturer had included in the last lecture, before sliding the laptop over to the far side of the table, where he could still see it, but it wasn’t in danger of being knocked over. He set out his textbooks within easy reach, his notebook beside them, an empty notebook in front of him, and a small pencil case, filled to bursting, beside his elbow after pulling out a few pens.

A large coffee was placed beside him, a fresh muffin next to it. He looked up into a smiling face.

“Ready for your exams lad?” Dori asked as he looked over the mass of notes and books Fili had.

He shook his head. “Not really. There’s just so much to know, and so much they might ask. And I’m terrified that, even though the lecturers have all said certain things won’t be in the exams because they were assessed throughout the semester, I won’t study something and it’ll be the question that’s worth the most marks.” Fili took a sip of the coffee, humming softly at the caramel flavour just under the coffee taste. Dori knew Fili’s order off by heart with the amount of times he came through every week, and had done for years.

Dori squeezed Fili’s shoulder gently. “You’ll be fine lad. You know the content. I haven’t seen a student work harder than you in a long time. You’ll do fine. And in 6 months time I’ll see you sitting here again, doing the same thing with your next lot of classes.” He squeezed Fili’s shoulder one last time. “Let me know if there’s anything else you need.”

Fili nodded his understanding as he took another sip of the caramel latte and picked up a pen. He looked at the first question: _Label the following diagram of the human brain._

********

After 2 hours and another coffee, Fili had 6 rough answers to questions ranging from short answer questions like ‘ _what is meant by the systolic and diastolic blood pressures?’_ and ‘ _what is the approximate blood volume of a 1Okg infant?’_ to longer questions such as _‘describe the process of allergies or an allergic reaction’_ and ‘ _discuss the alarm reaction or the fight or flight response_ ’. He was just starting to attempt a theoretical problem about a person moving from sea level to live up a mountain and what problems they may have vs the problems a deep sea diver may have, and the acclimatisation process that occurs when a person born in a cold environment moves to live in a hot environment when a shadow was thrown over his papers.

His eyes widened when he looked up and found Kili standing next to him, black shirt spotted with chocolate powder and coffee grinds, a dark blue apron with _Blue Mountains Coffee House_ printed on it tied around his waist. He was holding a coffee cup balanced on a saucer and looking at Fili with a deer in the headlights expression.

“Hey,” Fili said as he put down his pen, and stretched, careful not to accidentally knock Kili’s hands. “I didn’t know you work here.”

Carefully, Kili put down the saucer and breathed a small sigh of relief when it didn’t spill. Then he nervously ran his hands over his shirt, trying to brush away the powder. “Yeah, it’s not great, but I needed something to get me through. Pay the bills you know.”

Fili looked over the other man critically, cataloguing the dark circles under his eyes, and the slightly greasy curls he had pulled back from his face. His appearance screamed late nights and lack of sleep. He smiled comfortingly and gestured to the other seat. “We all have to start somewhere. And I think most people have worked in a place like this.”

“I just feel like I should have a better job. A more _adult_ job you know.” Kili sighed as he practically dropped into the seat opposite Fili. “You wouldn’t understand. You’re a paramedic. You don’t have a menial job like this.”

“I’m a paramedic now, but what do you think I did while I studied?” _Other than fight with Uncle_ he thought angrily. “I worked 2 jobs while I studied full time to be able to afford to do anything.” He watched as Kili’s eyes widened again. “I also spent a lot of time in this cafe while I studied. Dori found me asleep at this table more times that I care to admit to. He’s kept me in coffee for longer than I care to admit to.”

“Are you ok?” he asked after a few minutes of silence, broken only by Kili drumming his fingers on the table, lost in concentration.

“Huh?” Kili blinked a few times to reorient himself. “Yeah, yeah I’m fine. I better get back to work.” He was gone before Fili could ask about the horribly sad expression that had been on the brunettes face. Fili pondered what could possibly make the young student so upset. But when he thought back on it, he hadn’t seen Kili smile once in the few weeks they had know each other, apart from the first day they made stir fry and didn’t set off the fire alarm. Kili was too young to have such a weight on his shoulders and Fili desperately wanted to know what had happened, but he was sure Kili wouldn’t answer if asked. In fact, it would probably make him retreat further into himself.

Fili made a mental note to ask about Kili’s last name. Maybe a Google search would dig up a few answers to the questions that were whirling through his brain.

********

Fili didn’t see Kili again that day. He was daydreaming, and doodling on a blank piece of paper when Dori came to gently kick him out at closing time. He watched as Fili packed up his things, a soft smile on his face. Regardless of how many years had passed, he always remembered the small, skinny kid that had first stumbled into the cafe, drenched from the rain, exhausted and on the edge of a panic attack. It warmed his heart to see how far Fili had come, but his heart broke to see Kili in almost the same state day after day.

“Dori?” He startled, not realising Fili was fully packed up. “What can you tell me about Kili?”

Dori sighed as he slid into the unoccupied chair. “I don’t know a lot. His dad left when he was about 3 or 4, and his mum died when he was in his early teens. I don’t know details, just what Ori has managed to get out of him. They share a couple of classes. He’s quiet, keeps to himself, doesn’t share much. I know Ori and Gimli would like to get to know him better, but he’s just so closed off. I didn’t realise you two knew each other.”

“He lives across from me. He’s the guy who keeps setting the fire alarm off.” Fili ran a hand through his hair, pulling it from the ponytail he’d put it in to keep it out of his eyes while he studied. He stood up, shrugging into his coat, wrapping the scarf around his neck, and throwing the bag over one shoulder. “Thanks Dori. I’ll see you later.”

As he stepped out of the warm cafe, and back into the rain and cold he couldn’t shake the thought of Kili, so young and afraid, out of his head. He checked his watch and cursed. He needed to go home and sleep, he had work the next day.

Researching Kili would have to wait.


End file.
